A Study of the Responses of Muslims to the Coroner Law System in Lagos, Nigeria

Danoye Oguntola Laguda1 Оригинални научни рад Lagos state University UDK 322:34(669) Ojo, Nigeria RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT POLICY FORMULATIONS: A STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF MUSLIMS TO THE CORONER LAW SYSTEM IN LAGOS, NIGERIA Abstract This paper appraises the relationship between religious beliefs and politics within the context of government policy formulation and law in a society (Nigeria). This is to gauge the response of religious adherents to government policies and laws that claimed to be secular but in reality touches on religious beliefs of a segments of the society. This has created a paradox that needs criti- cal evaluation to determine if government policies and laws are devoid of religious influence. There is also the need to strike a balance between making laws and formulating policies in a secularized society where citizens have often lend a voice(within organized religions) to influence and force changes in such laws and policies. Data for analysis were gathered using random sampling method based on the religious affiliation and belief, education, gender and awareness(of the existence of CLS) of respondents in the five divisions of the state-Lagos. The analysis of the data shows that religion has the capacity to occasion changes of government laws and policies even in a pluralistic society like Nigeria as the coroner law system that was introduced by Lagos state government (one of the federating states in Nigeria) in 2007 and later withdrawn a year later due to hues and cries of Muslims in the state has shown. This form is the basis of analysis in this paper. The paper adopts a sociological and historical method for analysis. Keywords: Secularization, Government policies, Law, Politics, Religious beliefs. Introduction Religion and politics in Nigeria are two inseparable institutions. The interaction between the two phenomena has been a subject of debate in modern scholarship in the humanities as well as social sciences. The argument has been 1 E-mail: [email protected] ANALYSES 399 ПОЛИТИКОЛОГИЈА РЕЛИГИЈЕ бр. 2/2013 год VII • POLITICS AND RELIGION • POLITOLOGIE DES RELIGIONS • Nº 2/2013 Vol. VII that of total or partial dis-interaction. Some scholars in Nigeria have argued that politics and political process stand to corrupt religious doctrine, tenets and practices. On the contrary scholars are abounding (in the majority) that have argued that religion and politics should interact for the benefit of humanity. The latter school seems more popular in the Nigeria situation as it is the case in African countries, south of the Sahara. The challenge of striking a balance between growing democracy and in- creased involvement of Nigerians (including religious adherents) in the formulation and implementation of government policies and laws cannot be overem- phasized. This situation was manifested in the politics and policy formulation in Lagos State (one of the 36 states in Nigeria) when the coroner law system was introduced in 2007. The response of the Muslim community in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole was that it is another mark of marginalization of their religion, which is against coroner processes in its funeral rites. The situation reflexes the tenuous- ness of the balance between religion and politics (as it involves policy formulation and implementation even in a secular state). The responses that greeted the coroner law in Lagos demonstrates how religious beliefs and groups shape and direct government’s policy formulation and direction. In an attempt to understand the motive behind the Muslim agitations against the coroner law system in Lagos and its subsequent withdrawal for re- view by the government in 2008, I intend to appraise the relationship between religious beliefs and politics within the context of policy formulation and implementation in a religious (secularized) pluralistic society like Nigeria. The paper is divided into four parts. It open with an introduction. Part two engages the interaction between politics and religion in Nigeria (a pluralistic nation). The Third section examines the influence of religion on government policy formulations, and lastly the implementation of these in Nigeria shall also be analyzed. The paper shall round up with concluding reflections on the subject matter: religion and politics of government policy formulations and laws in a religiously pluralistic society. Interaction between Religion and Politics in Nigeria: The Debate S.O. Abogunrin, in his paper titled “Towards a Unifying Political Ideology and Peaceful Coexistence in Nigeria: A Christian View”4, opines that religion and politics are two inseparable institutions in the human social psyche and structure. He equally asserts that earthly governments are mere agents of God’s theocrat- ic governance of the physical and the spiritual world (Abogunrin, 1984:118). R.D. Abubakre, writing from an Islamic perspective, suggests that Islam is a way of life, which dictates, the political ideology and practice in any Islamic society. He, however, points out that the ideals of Islam is a good guide to political conducts, but the practices of such ideals are usually influenced by the socio-cultural institutions 400 АНАЛИЗЕ Danoye Oguntola Laguda, RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT POLICY FORMULATIONS: A STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF MUSLIMS TO THE CORONER LAW SYSTEM IN LAGOS, NIGERIA •(pp 399-412) in the society, including politics (Abubakre 1984:129). On the contrary, arguments abound that there should not be a direct relationship between politics and religion especially, since, according to propo- nents of this positions, both phenomena belong to different realms of existence – sacred and profane. Those in this group are mostly Christians. In the opinion of J.K Balogun; Islam does not discriminate between religious and secular mat- ters. On the contrary, Christians always base their argument on the statement of Jesus Christ that “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:17-22). This phrase has often been used to exclude clergymen, who want to venture into politics. Matthew Hassan Kukah however, disagrees with this school of thought, with an exegesis on this passage. He writes: What Jesus really meant was not that religion and politics do not mix, nor did He mean that Christians should not participate in politics… the coin was representation of the power of Caesar and that was why the coin had Caesar’s sign… In the case of God, His authority is over and above the realm of Caesar’s empire. In that sense both Caesar and his coin are under the aegis of God and the issue of separation is an aberration (Kukah 1998:16) It should be noted that the argument of these opposing schools are hinged on their beliefs, perhaps based on experience, that politics often corrupt religion, and that political leaders use religion as a platform to negotiate for votes. The fact should be stated that since the relationship between the sacred and the profane is symbiotic, there is no reason why religion should not influence political ideologies and vice-versa. Where this interaction is possible and allowed, the nature of the society and the strata therein has a lot to do in dictating the mode of such a relationship. This is the submission of Laguda (2008: 123-134). Although not a universal condition, in a religiously homogenous society, religion and politics could interact absolutely and peace as well as economic pos- terity will always be the fruit of such relation. This perhaps goes to support the view of the Aristotelian school that religious homogeneity is a condition for political stability. In a heterogeneous as well as pluralistic society, divergent opinions in relation to religious beliefs and ideologies, might not allow for a cordial relationship between religion and politics. This may be the reason why political parties, in heterogeneous societies are not founded on religious grounds. Consequently, once politics and state governance are secularized and it will have its attendant’s effects on state policies. The struggle for supremacy among religions in the society will not allow for a compromise especially in the formulation of state policies and laws. A case in point in Nigeria was Christian’s rejection of the state’s membership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (O.I.C) in spite of economic gains that would be derived from this association. This position might not be the same in western societies, since according to Leicester Webb as cited by Alford, these societies are united by certain political values, closely associated with Christian doctrines and ethics as it relates to justice, morality, freedom, equity, etc ANALYSES 401 ПОЛИТИКОЛОГИЈА РЕЛИГИЈЕ бр. 2/2013 год VII • POLITICS AND RELIGION • POLITOLOGIE DES RELIGIONS • Nº 2/2013 Vol. VII (Alfold 1981:164). However, B. Alford suggests that there is a possibility of effective interaction between religion and politics in a pluralized society. This relationship will depend largely on some essential conditions in the society. These include secularization of politics, weakness in religious beliefs (where adherents of different faiths are not fanatical or are not particularistic) and separation of religion from other areas of life. In the same vein, in homogenous societies, it is possible to have pluralized religious ideologies, but where there is a consensus on teachings and practices of such religions, there is bound to be unity of political purpose (Alfold 1981:164). In countries, where political policies are formulated on religious doctrines, they perhaps must have achieved religious and political freedom at the same time. This could be the basis for such relationship. Jevtic Miroljub (2007:) also submits that religion plays significant role in the formation and management of a state. This was the case with United States of America (USA). So far, we have observed that in spite of the opinion of the antagonist of interaction between religion and politics, there is the possibility of effective relationship between these two phenomena, no matter the nature of the society.

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